During the festive Lunar New Year period, Japan’s vibrant shopping areas, delicious restaurants, serene temples, and exciting ski resorts would typically be bustling with Chinese tourists.
However, this year, cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto have seen a noticeable decrease in visitors from China, according to local business owners.
It appears the Chinese government is actively dissuading its citizens from traveling to Japan. This campaign, fueled by misinformation and exaggerated claims, aims to penalize Tokyo for its support of Taiwan, a democratic island Beijing considers its own territory.
Recent government announcements and state media reports from Beijing have painted a picture of Japan as a dangerous place, constantly threatened by earthquakes, crime, traffic accidents, and even bear attacks. These reports specifically suggest that Chinese tourists are targets.
Just before the Lunar New Year holiday, a crucial travel period for China, the Chinese foreign ministry warned that “Chinese citizens face serious security threats in Japan.”
This strategy, designed to tarnish Japan’s reputation as one of the world’s safest travel destinations, seems to be having an impact. The number of Chinese visitors to Japan has dropped significantly in recent months, with a 61 percent decrease in January compared to the previous year. December saw a 45 percent decline in arrivals (note: Lunar New Year timing variations slightly affect this data).
Let’s take a closer look at Beijing’s specific assertions.
Earthquakes
China has frequently highlighted Japan’s seismic activity to discourage tourism. Following a major earthquake in northern Japan last December, China’s foreign ministry advised citizens to avoid the country due to potential tsunamis or “mega quakes.”
While it’s true that Japan is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a zone of intense seismic activity that makes it prone to earthquakes, the country is also a world leader in earthquake preparedness, boasting advanced early warning systems and stringent building codes.
Analysts suggest that by emphasizing earthquakes, the Chinese government aims to frame its concerns as safety-related, rather than political. These warnings conspicuously omit any mention of Beijing’s strong disapproval of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s assertion that Japan might assist in Taiwan’s defense should China invade.
Xiao Qiang, a Chinese propaganda specialist at the University of California, Berkeley, noted that “a safety narrative feels more neutral and reversible, giving the Chinese government room to signal displeasure while keeping diplomatic flexibility.”
Targeting of Chinese Citizens
China has alleged that its citizens face a risk of being targeted in Japan. This claim taps into a deep-seated nationalist sentiment, recalling the painful history of World War II between the two nations and Japan’s documented wartime atrocities.
Beijing has pointed to specific incidents, such as a recent attack in Sapporo where a Hong Kong resident was struck with a beer bottle, as reported by Japanese media. Additionally, China has made vague accusations of “unprovoked verbal abuse and physical assault” against its citizens in Japan, without offering further details.
However, official Japanese statistics show no evidence of a rise in crime or discrimination targeting Chinese citizens in Japan. On the contrary, the number of serious crimes like murders, robberies, and arsons involving Chinese victims has actually decreased in recent years.
Kurt Tong, a managing partner at the Asia Group and former American diplomat, suggested that China’s efforts to stir up feelings of prejudice could resonate within its own country due to lingering emotions surrounding World War II.
“These emotional, interpersonal arguments could have more resonance with the Chinese public,” Tong stated. “It plays into the nationalist idea that they’re being disrespected as a people.”
Crime, Accidents, and Bears
Despite Japan boasting one of the lowest crime rates globally, Chinese media reports often paint a very different picture.
Beijing frequently highlights isolated violent incidents in Japan to suggest a widespread safety issue. One example cited was the recent stabbing of three teenagers in Osaka.
In a statement discouraging travel to Japan, the Chinese consulate in Osaka claimed that “the security environment in some areas of Japan has been unstable, and similar vicious cases have been occurring frequently.”
China has also hinted at a significant road safety problem in Japan, despite the country’s relatively low traffic fatality rates.
Last month, Chinese authorities drew attention to an incident in Tokyo’s busy Shinjuku district where a car struck pedestrians, injuring two Chinese nationals seriously, according to Beijing.
The Chinese embassy in Japan went as far as issuing a warning about an unprecedented increase in bear attacks across the country.
Experts believe that Beijing faces a significant challenge in persuading its public to cancel trips to Japan, given the widespread affection for Japanese cuisine, culture, and products on the mainland.
Mr. Tong commented, “They’re reaching for the stuff they think might get people’s attention. But Japan is such an attractive place to visit. In the long term, they might not be able to keep people away.”
Reporting by Kiuko Notoya and Hisako Ueno from Tokyo, and Chris Buckley from Taipei contributed to this article.